Old CPU vs New CPU

Dolby

Dolby

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About 3 years back I bought what I considered a fairly high spec PC - with main bits being a Q9300 Core 2 Quad 2.5ghz and 2 x 2GB DDRII 1066 RAM.

Looking at some the latest - would an i3 be a downgrade - even though it's newer?
Or have they done something else to make it perform?

If I was looking at an upgrade - should I rather be looking at an i7?
 
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I've been wondering the same thing! I've got a q6600, but I doubt I'll upgrade anytime soon in terms of that! My current mobo has both DDR3 and DDR2 slots. So My current thoughts, which you could maybe also use, is to upgrade OS to SSD, upgrade RAM to DDR3(2x4GB, from 4x2GB DDR2), upgrade stock cooler(should have been done ages ago), upgrade graphics card.

That's in order of most to least important! I think an SSD would be a great set forward, but also quite a costly exercise! Granted with hdd prices going up I'm not sure if now is the best time to do it? Does anyone know if this has had any effect on the prices of ssd's? Sorry to high jack your thread dolby :) If you do have an interest in the SSD's do ask because that will save me from creating my own thread ill just peg along in this one if im allowed! I have no clue about SSDs! Besides the fact that for 60GB you are going to be paying over R1k!
 
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Nope it doesn't affect SSD prices. I purchased a Crucial M4 128GB from ebay for R1800 including express delivery. Best thing I bought. I upgraded from a Q6600 (4gHz) to a i7 2600k. The SSD drive ranks higher than the processor imo. You'll be wondering why you waited so long to buy one. Its a great interim and major upgrade.

I'm not sure you'll see much real world difference with the Ram upgrade thou. Rather upgrade the GPU and cooler first.
 
Dolby said:
About 3 years back I bought what I considered a fairly high spec PC - with main bits being a Q9300 Core 2 Quad 2.5ghz and 2 x 2GB DDRII 1066 RAM.

Looking at some the latest - would an i3 be a downgrade - even though it's newer?
Or have they done something else to make it perform?

If I was looking at an upgrade - should I rather be looking at an i7?
Click to expand...

An i3 is a dual core, so you would lose out on performance in apps that use more than 2 cores.

For apps that use 2 cores, the i3 might be faster, I'm not sure.

I would guess you're using photo apps etc. in which case the quad is likely much better. Also more apps/games these days are being made for quad/hex CPUs etc.

Would help you listed your intended uses.

If you want to upgrade for whatever reason, from a Q9400, you should look at an i5 quad core. Will require new motherboard and RAM.
 
copacetic said:
No idea, just let me know if you are planning to sell your CPU. :D
Click to expand...

... it's only a dream until I pull myself out of the financial black hole I find myself in right now ;)

PostmanPot said:
An i3 is a dual core, so you would lose out on performance in apps that use more than 2 cores.

For apps that use 2 cores, the i3 might be faster, I'm not sure.

I would guess you're using photo apps etc. in which case the quad is likely much better. Also more apps/games these days are being made for quad/hex CPUs etc.

Would help you listed your intended uses.

If you want to upgrade for whatever reason, from a Q9400, you should look at an i5 quad core. Will require new motherboard and RAM.
Click to expand...

Well - I just got this iPad and although I'm not a huge a fan of Apple, I'm thinking my next computer should be an Apple iMac. Due to the price, it'd be either an i3 or i5 and I wanted to see what I'd lose or gain.

It's just for general things - mail ,browsing, the occasional Photoshop etc. I just think an iPad and iMac will gel nicely together
 
Heh, was wondering if you where looking for something to spend your R4000 on ;) Saw your sale on ODP! But then on the other hand i read your thread on you tenant! I will too one day also get a mac, for now the price is not something i can look at!
 
Freaksta said:
Heh, was wondering if you where looking for something to spend your R4000 on ;) Saw your sale on ODP! But then on the other hand i read your thread on you tenant! I will too one day also get a mac, for now the price is not something i can look at!
Click to expand...

Every phone call and every mail is a bill ... R9,000.00 finders fee ... R16,500.00 SARS ... R13,000.00 roof repair ... R4,000.00 damp spots ... R5,500.00 Maxidoor .... R12,000.00 other repairs .... R1,500.00 deposit on my own electricity ... that's R60,000.00 in 2 months or so. Even my licenses disc is due now and my cat had an absess 2 months ago!

If it were at least spread out slightly - but right now something comes through every day or three

I'm clearing whatever I have lying around that I don't use fully ... Logitec Squeezebox, Blackberry, TVix media player and anything else I find - barring my Canon 7D :P By January if nothing else pops up, it should be alright :/

On topic - I quite liked the used one on MyBB at R7,500.00 - but I think it's an i3. Just wondering how much I'd jump down going to a new designed processor with only two cores
 
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Dolby said:
Every phone call and every mail is a bill ... R9,000.00 finders fee ... R16,500.00 SARS ... R13,000.00 roof repair ... R4,000.00 damp spots ... R5,500.00 Maxidoor .... R12,000.00 other repairs .... R1,500.00 deposit on my own electricity ... that's R60,000.00 in 2 months or so. Even my licenses disc is due now and my cat had an absess 2 months ago!

If it were at least spread out slightly - but right now something comes through every day or three

I'm clearing whatever I have lying around that I don't use fully ... Logitec Squeezebox, Blackberry, TVix media player and anything else I find - barring my Canon 7D :P By January if nothing else pops up, it should be alright :/

On topic - I quite liked the used one on MyBB at R7,500.00 - but I think it's an i3. Just wondering how much I'd jump down going to a new designed processor with only two cores
Click to expand...

R7,500 is quite a good price. Bear in mind it seems to be first generation Intel Core. Not such a biggie. You would be able to at least buy and test and resell if you didn't like it, without losing much.

I think it would be fast enough for you. Mac's are good like this, I have friends that still do design/graphics work on older iMac's i.e. 2.4GHz Core2 Duo/2GB RAM.

21.5" might be a bit small though? I would try get 24" or 27", the ones that come with IPS LCD screens. That way you will get good colours when doing your photo stuff. I think the 21.5" is normal TN LCD [with poorer colour accuracy, viewing angles, etc).

If you can afford to get the 27", just get it.
 
PostmanPot said:
21.5" might be a bit small though? I would try get 24" or 27", the ones that come with IPS LCD screens. That way you will get good colours when doing your photo stuff. I think the 21.5" is normal TN LCD [with poorer colour accuracy, viewing angles, etc).

If you can afford to get the 27", just get it.
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With the latest models, there appears to be only 21.5" and 27" ... with the cheapest 27" at R15,999.00 (http://www.zastore.co.za/imac.php).

Even if an i3 is fast enough for me, I'd like feel that I'm going stepping down. If I wasn't in this finance black hole now, I'd opt for the 27" i5 2.7ghz at R17,599.00

PP - you're an Apple person?

So that Nikon, Apple and plasma?
Could you get any more wrong? ;)
 
Dolby said:
With the latest models, there appears to be only 21.5" and 27" ... with the cheapest 27" at R15,999.00 (http://www.zastore.co.za/imac.php).

Even if an i3 is fast enough for me, I'd like feel that I'm going stepping down. If I wasn't in this finance black hole now, I'd opt for the 27" i5 2.7ghz at R17,599.00

PP - you're an Apple person?

So that Nikon, Apple and plasma?
Could you get any more wrong? ;)
Click to expand...

i5 27" isn't such a bad price. If you take the screen alone, an HP/Dell 27" IPS screen goes for R7k - R9k.

Nah - iOS / Macbook Pro / iMac 27" person.

Definitely not an Apple person! :p
 
Just my luck my one Ram module today just went Pooof! haha, So definitly going to go for 2 x 4GB DDR3 and a SSD!
 
Depends what the upgrade is for. Is it for gaming? Then no the gpu matters if you got a high enough native. For cpu intensive tasks the newer cpus will be a tad faster.
 
Nah - I'm too old for games ;)

Photoshop Elements and a few other image editing is the mist intensive I go. The Q9300 I have now is actually alright - though slowing a little. I think I need to format etc and just start afresh.

Just wondering if I got an i3 how it'd compare
 
Dolby said:
Nah - I'm too old for games ;)

Photoshop Elements and a few other image editing is the mist intensive I go. The Q9300 I have now is actually alright - though slowing a little. I think I need to format etc and just start afresh.

Just wondering if I got an i3 how it'd compare
Click to expand...

My PC is also slowing but ive found the SSD I want now! hehe Going to buy it at the end of this month so i have it before the December holidays!
 
For video editing and such? Look here
http://ppbm5.com/DB-PPBM5-2.php

Download that benchmark and see what part your pc has scored low. That part needs upgrading for better performance

Here's some detail about the benchmark
http://ppbm5.com/Background.html

That benchmark is actually the benchmark for Adobe Cs5. It give your whole system a workout.

You will notice a ssd is not a good idea for video editing. Scratch disks very bad idea a ssd. Its prone to fragmentation and they slow up massively when they fill up 60 to 70 percent. Spinners on a PCI-e raid controller gives you much better performance
 
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